More than two decades in business in a fickle minded industry like shipping is no small feat and staying on top is a much harder task to say the least. Maritime Resources Technology Inc. (MARITAS) on the verge of celebrating its silver anniversary has managed to do both.

Head honcho, Celso De Guzman or Ka Celso to friends in the industry said his formula for suc­cess is no secret at all and it’s no cliché either. MARITAS, he said, had always worked guided by integrity and a strong Christian value that helped it survive in such a cutthroat industry. As its official mission statement reads, MARITAS is dedicated to uphold and reinforce the cultural and Christian values of Filipino seafarers believ­ing, among others, that reverential fear of God results in integrity, discipline freedom from vice and exemplary work.

Ka Celso himself is a study of simplicity, per­severance and hard work. His life and career with the industry started out early at the age of 19. He was a working student and managed to graduate as a radio technician from the National Radio Vocational School. This started a life-long career with shipping and his eventual setting up of MARITAS. While at sea, he had predicted that with the advent of modern technology, Ra­dio Operators would soon be phased out and this was an inspiration for later on, MARITAS would become the pioneering training center offering the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). He helped saved the job of more than 17,000 Radio Operators displaced when GMDSS became a mandatory requirement by the Interna­tional Maritime Organization (IMO).

MARITAS, like its founder, dedicated its service to help the Philippine shipping industry develop seafarers to be at par with the fast changing face of shipping. This coupled with Ka Celso’s ardent desire to give quality training and a sincere desire to uplift the standards of the Filipino made it pos­sible for the company to stay on top and for Ka Celso, respect of his colleagues in the industry.

MARITAS has indeed come a long way and for Ka Celso, it will continue to train and help churn out the best and most qualified seafarer to the world fleet. In the face of modernization and the barrage of emerging companies posing as com­petition, he is unperturbed. His determination and strength is fueled by his personal crusade to con­tinue helping the country’s manning industry.

Ka Celso like his contemporaries in the manning industry is already an institution. To this writer, his name should be synonymous to the country’s quest for recognition in the word stage as the crewing capital in the world having witnessed how he tirelessly worked for the industry along­side the names of such stalwarts like Capt. Grego­rio S. Oca (RIP) of the AMOSUP for the Union, Mr. Carlos Salinas of FSA and Vicente Aldanese for the manning sector and Crescenciano Sid­dayao of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agencies (POEA) for the government sector.

ACQUIRING GMDSS 4000

Currently, Ka Celso’s brood of four children, Wilhelmina, Celso 1, Celsito and Celso Jr. helps him run the business with the same quiet but steadfast determination like their father. Ka Celso, though quite contented to give way to the younger generation to take over, is still hands on with the company, making sure it stays true to its course.

He is also still at the forefront in assuring that MARITAS is up to date with the new regulations and requirements, making sure that the training center is keeping abreast with any changes in view of the latest in technology and moderniza­tion in shipping.

Ka Celso announced recently the acquisition of a GMDSS 4000 simulator from Transas. Ac­cording to him “this new acquisition will help us cope with the more stringent requirements by the international shipping community to develop further the quality of our seafarer’s training”.

“We have been offering GMDSS here for 23 years and our products now runs in the thou­sands, all of them manning and servicing ves­sels that ply the global shipping network and we will strive to continue doing just that” Ka Celso stated assuring that MARITAS is keeping up with the times.

HE said, “GMDSS 4000 is the same simulator being used by the accredited assessment center by the NTC in conducting practical examines to our officers and seafarers prior to getting their mandatory certificates in GMDSS.

Our simulator is up and running and we will continue upgrading so as to be able to readily answer any challenges that this fast changing phases and technology in shipping might throw at us”.

MARITAS, Ka Celso said will always strive to provide quality maritime training services to its customers and clients through continuous improve­ment of the system, procedures and processes and by developing objectives that will substantiate its distinction as a service oriented organization.

He stressed that MARITAS is a service com­pany and “we are selling services, selling it and keeping it sold is everyone’s concern in this or­ganization.

We are selling services not only for business prof­it but for the humanitarian concern as well”.